Frank richard



(No Model.)

' F. RICHARD.

BUOY.A

No. 546,057. Paltenpedsept. 1o, 1895.

"Unirse Sintes karaat @risica FRANK RICHARD, OF NEVVv YORK, N. Y.

BUOY.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,057, dated September10, 1895.

Application filed April l2, 1 8 9 5 To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK RICHARD, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Buoys, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to mooringbuoys for locating theanchoring position of vessels. It is secured to the bottom by a suitableanchor, and carries an oye to which may be attached the hawser of thevessel to be made fast. Can-buoys and casks used for this purpose areliable to be punctured or crushed by blows received from moving vessels, floating ice, wreckage, and the like, and wooden blocks used asbuoys become saturated and lose their floatative qualities. Anotherobjection to these forms is their liability to chate the sides of avessel striking them.

The object of my invention is to provide a buoy which will bepractically unaected by the rough usage to which it is subjected, andavoid the objectionable features of the ordinary forms.

It consists of a tlexible impervious envelope filled with a lightmaterial, as cork. It is cylindrical, with the edges rounded, and isprovided with a tube extending through on the axial line to receive arod carrying a swivel, by which it is anchored to the bottom, and an eyefor the attachment of a hawser.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a largerscale, and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing certain details ofconstruction.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The envelope is of canvas or other strong and eXible material, renderedwaterproof by saturation in a rubber solution and subsequently allowingthe solvent to evaporate. It is in three pieces A A A2, properly joinedby lines of stitches. The middle portion A is a rectangular strip of alength equal to the circumference of the buoyto be made. Its short sidesare stitched together to form a belt. The cap-pieces A A2 are circular,the

Serial No. 545,455. (No model.)

diameter being the same as that of the belt A, to which they are joinedat the upper and lower edges, respectively. Each cap-piece has a smallcircular opening at the center through which protrudes the ends of atube D, of brass, extending axially through the buoy. The ends of thetubes are screw-threaded, each receiving a pair ofcorrespondingly-threaded washers or grommets B O of the same -mate rial.The inner grommetsB B are screwed in place with the required spacebetween and are thickly coated with white lead E on their outer faces.The tube is then passed. into the envelope through an unsewed portion ofone ofthe seams, and the ends engaged in the central openings in thecap-pieces A A2. The grommets C C, each having its inner face previouslycoated with white lead, are then screwed firmly home on the tube ends,securely clamping the interior edge of each cappiece between a pair ofthe grommets B O. The joints so formed are insured against leakage bythe white lead, and the entrance of water following the screw-threads onthe tube D is prevented by soldering that joint, as indi cated at F. Thesolder also serves to prevent the unscrewing of the grommet. Finelygranulated cork G is introduced through the same open seam and packedtightly, completely filling the envelope, which is then closed by sewingup the open portion ot' the seam. The whole is then coated with whitelead or other paint adapted to withstand the action of the water.

' L is a rod, of a diameter somewhat less than that of the tube D,extending through the latter and provided at the upper end with astanding circular eye L', having a vertical tubular socket L2 welded orotherwise secured to its upper surface. The lower end of the rod isscrew-threaded to receive a pair of threaded collars or nuts N N',confining between them the neck ot' a swivel M. The eX- treme lower endof the rod L is then headed below the nut N', as indicated at Z, toprevent accidental displacement. The socket L2. sup- ICO M, and securedat the other end to any suitable anchor. (Not shown.)

Modifications may be made in the details without departing from orsacrificing the invention.

Other material may be used for the envelope instead of canvas, and itmay be made impervious to water by other means than the rubber solution.It may be cut in a greater or less number of pieces than here shown.

Various forms of cement may be substituted for the White lead used insealing the joint between the grommets and the inclosed portion of theenvelope.

Any suitable light and resilient material may be employed for thefilling.

The advantages of my buoy are obvious, but may be briefly stated. It isnot liable to permanent distortion by being crushed between vessels ormasses of floating ice because of the resilience of the cork filling andthe flexibility of the envelope, and by reason of those qualities andthe absence of sharp angles it will not injure or mar the surface of aboat coming in contact with it. The buoy will resist puncture for thesame reasons, and if so injured will continue to float for a long perioduntil the cork has become saturated. The rod L passes loosely through,and therefore does not subject the buoy to the severe strains of thevessel transmitted through the-hawser to the eye and from the swivel tothe chain and anchor. Liability of the rod to become bound is avoided bythe stiffness of the tube D, which in'closes it.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a buoy, a flexible envelope, a filling oflight resilient material as granulated cork,

and a stiff tube extending axially through the envelope and filling, incombination with the pairs of grommets engaging the edges of theenvelope at each end of the tube, the latter adapted to loosely inclosea rod extending therethrough carrying a swivel and eye to which theanchoring rope and hawser may be attached, all substantially as hereinspecified.

2. In a buoy, a flexible envelope, a filling of light material, asgranulated cork, a tube D extending through the envelope and filling,grommets B, C, carried on each end of the tube in pairs, engaging theenvelope between each pair, and the rod L extending loosely through saidtube and carrying an eye L and swivel M, all combined and arranged toserve substantially as herein specified.

3. The belt A, and cap pieces A', A2, forming an envelope, the filling Gof granulated cork, the tube D extending through the filling and cappieces, grommets B carried on the screw-threaded ends of the tube withinthe envelope, grommets Capplied to the said ends from the exterior, thecement E between the grommets and envelope, and the solder F securingthe grommet C to the tube, in combination with each other, and with therod L extending loosely through said tube, the -eye L formed on one endof the rod and the swivel M carried on the other end, all arranged toserve substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK RICHARD.

Witnesses:

ROBERT J. VICTOR, CHs. SCHROEDER.

